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NBSC Manly Campus

NBSC Manly Campus

The selective campus of Northern Beaches Secondary College

Telephone02 9905 3982

Emailnbscmanlys-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Learning extension

Gifted students are those whose potential is distinctly above average in one or more of the following domains of ability at school - intellectual, creative, social and physical.

Our high potential and gifted education program provides these students with learning opportunities in the classroom and on top of the normal curriculum. Some of these opportunites include Project Based Learning subjects, acceleration courses, tiered differentiation tasks, student-led clubs, enrichment and extra-curricular programs.

High Potential and Gifted students

Manly Campus is an academically selective school, and therefore all learning opportunities, and related assessment activities, have been developed to meet the needs of gifted and talented learners.

Gifted and talented learners:

  • comprehend complex ideas more fully
  • learn more rapidly and in greater depth than their age peers
  • may exhibit interests that differ from those of their age peers
  • have an unusually well-developed sense of justice and fairness
  • exhibit emotional intensity
  • have hobbies and interests smiliar to those of older peers
  • often have a tendency to prefer the companionship of older peers
  • have an enhanced capacity to empathise with the feelings of others
  • often demonstrate a more mature sense of humour than age peers.

Source: Gifted and talented students: a resource guide for teachers in Victorian Catholic Schools (2013)

Underachievement

Gifted underachievers are students who possess considerable interlectual potential but who are performing in a mediocre fashion or worse in an educational setting (Davis, 1997)

Characteristics of gifted underachievers:

  • poor test performance
  • daily work frequently incomplete or poorly done
  • superior comprehension and retention of concepts when interested
  • shows initiative in pursuing self-selected projects at home
  • easily distracted; unable to focus attention and concentrate efforts on tasks
  • has an indifferent or negative attitude towards school
  • vast gap between qualitative level of oral and written work.

Strategies to help underachievers:

  • consistent and realistic feedback on work
  • independent study to learn how to manage research without teacher direction
  • one-on-one tutoring for talent development
  • real world audience to be given realistic feedback from experts
  • conceptual discussion to explore themes, generalisations, issues, problems
  • individualised benchmark setting to plan and monitor performance goals short term
  • enrichment/extension projects and self direction

Source: Reforming Gifted Education, Karen B. Rogers, Ph.D.

Project based learning

Project based learning (PBL) is an inquiry driven methodology that requires you to solve relevant, real-world problems. By doing so, you attain and strengthen skills essential for success in the 21st century-collaboration, communication, creativity, and digital citizenship. PBL is perfect for gifted and talented students as it provides them with the opportunity to learn in an environment that is challenging, creative, collaborative and dynamic. You will have opportunities to work on subject-based PBL projects and on cross-curricula PBL projects in year 7 and 10. During PBL projects students will be assessed on academic content, as well as 21st century skills-critical thinking, collaboration, communication, creativity and innovation, and presentation skills.

There are three key stages for every project: discover, create, share.

Discover

During this first stage of a project, you will be engaged in a series of inquiry-focused learning activities - mostly self directed-to help identify and learn content and skills you 'need to know' to be successful with a project.

Create

During the second stage of a project, you will be working to create a product or solution to a problem. This typically involves brainstorming, planning, seeking feedback and then editiing/refining a product.

Share

The final stage of a project will see you preparing to showcase your learning (and often a final product) to a public audience. Often this will involve giving a presentation and/or defence of their work.

Source: Bianca Hewes projectbasedlearningmsc.weebly.com.